Ukraine's embattled Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych, has stepped down from his post on the last day of 2004.

In a televised address late Friday, five hours before the stroke of midnight, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych announced to the nation that he would be stepping down from his post.

Mr. Yanukovych said he finds it impossible to occupy any post in an administration headed by the apparent presidential election winner, Viktor Yushchenko, and his supporters.

But the pro-Russia rival did not concede the election, nor did he say he was abandoning his legal challenge over the latest electoral results, which give opposition challenger, Mr. Yushchenko, an 11-point margin of victory.

Mr. Yanukovych said only that he held out little hope for an impartial decision from the justices on Ukraine's Supreme Court. The justices earlier threw out his declared second-round win, after finding that run-off riddled with fraud.